Why Do We Hate Barry Bonds?
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by Ea34
I have said this all along and will continue to do so until concrete evidence of Bonds' steroid use surfaces: Whatever Barry Bonds did or did not do, he has hit 756 home runs and he has yet to test positive for performance enhancers.
The more opinions I hear and read about Barry Bonds' record-setting 756th home run, the more I think that this has nothing to do with Barry Bonds. It barely has anything to do with sports. Hank Aaron 's record of 755 home runs, and everything he overcame to set that record, has stood as the benchmark for greatness in American sports for more than three decades. Knowing that a quiet, dignified man from humble beginnings could triumph in the face of the deplorable bigotry and hatred that he encountered in his pursuit of Babe Ruth 's then-record made three generations of fans feel better about devoted their time and energy to game like baseball. The way in which Aaron broke, and subsequently held, baseball's home run record was a point of national pride.
Now we come to baseball's Prince of Darkness, Barry Bonds. If Henry Aaron has come to exemplify grace under pressure, Bonds has become the poster child for arrogance and compromised integrity. Everything associated with Barry Bonds is greeted with skepticism and negativity, despite his not being the first, last or only MLB superstar suspected of taking performance enhancers. Looking back to 1998 (which, let's admit it, steroids or not, was a hell of a lot of fun), most baseball fans now view the McGwire-Sosa home run chase with a far greater level skepticism, but not anger. It's like baseball's disappointed in Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, but livid with Barry Bonds. Because Barry Bonds is everything the average baseball fan hates, but envies, all rolled into one. He's rich, entitled, obscenely talented, and arrogant. And he will do WHATEVER IT TAKES to get what he wants.
The son of Giants' great Bobby Bonds and the godson of baseball legend Willie Mays, Bonds' comfortable (I think I'm putting it mildly) upbringing in northern California in the 1970s is a FAR cry from Aaron's childhood in 1930s and 40s in Mobile, Alabama. That he was born into baseball royalty (and knew it!) and was talented enough to wear the crown himself (and knew it!) have made Barry Bonds baseball's version of "My Super Sweet Sixteen"! Bonds is more than a little bit self-assured, and he's the first one to let us know it.
Another problem is that we, the public, have never really seen Barry fall. Yeah, he's been injured, yeah he's a shell of his younger self in the field, and the seemingly the subject of a new grand jury every month, but no one's ever really "gotten" Barry. If there's one thing the American media hates more than a super-talented elitist, it's a super-talented elitist that can't be brought to his knees. Hell, we are a country that like to humble the people that we like, never mind an arrogant SOB like Bonds. But, alas, Barry remains "Teflon" Bonds.
Finally, there's Barry's resolve. Whether you love him or hate him and regardless of your stance on the allegations of his use of steroids, Bonds has actually done the very thing that most, if not all of us, would love to do, but do not have the nerve to- Within the rules that were present at the time (let's not lose sight of this), he has done whatever it's taken to remain at the pinnacle of his career, for as long as possible. Barry Bonds using performance-enhancing drugs (if he did) is no different than a trader on Wall Street cashing in on a knowing wink from a colleague or friend. It may or may not make him a bad person to you, but it's what goes on in an ultra-competitive industry where there's always someone looking to take your place.
I agree that Barry Bonds is not a selfless, altruistic and caring person. I agree that Barry's world rarely extends more than five feet beyond Barry. But let's honest here: Barry's not hated because he took steroids. Barry's hated because he was born rich and talented, made the most of his talent to reach the peak of his profession, did whatever it took to stay there and made no secret of the fact the he played the most important part in his own success.
I may be way off here, but I think that in his own perverse way, Barry Bonds is what we all strive to be.
